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Women Want to Be in IT. IT Needs Women. https://ift.tt/BhY65WA A positive environment is crucial for growth – that’s the case for all living organisms, but especially for us humans. But a positive environment is, sadly, not a given for everyone. Many years ago, I dabbled in the STEM field and studied IT before I’d chosen my current career path. And let me say, it was quite a tough time for women who wanted to make it and be successful. Obviously, I could acknowledge how far we’ve come regarding the IT space being welcoming to women, but it seemed like the road ahead was three times as long. Now, when I work for GetResponse, an IT-based company surrounded by many women who are valued and fulfilled IT experts, I can see that a lot has changed. And we might be further down the road than I’d realized. The challenges are still here, but many more companies now strive to be the perfect workplace for women in IT. Many challenges are still hereSome of the challenges are a tale as old as time and (hopefully) on their way out. But some of them are recent – for example, the remote work model the industry took upon two years ago is said to have worsened the work/life balance of women in tech. And researchers are saying that it made them consider quitting the workforce altogether. Here are just some of the areas that need to change: Discouragement and lack of representationWomen still face discouragement and are still being bullied away from STEM programs and pursuing IT-related jobs. Some of it concerns the “brogrammer” culture that can push away any feminine qualities. As Girls Who Code pointed out, “about 74% of young girls express interest in STEM fields and computer science”. And only 18% of undergraduate computer science degrees and 26% of computing jobs are held by women. Worse, women hold only 5% of leadership roles in tech companies. Gender inequalities and biasesMen are assumed to be more capable. They rate themselves better when asked about skills and are more confident than women in the IT industry because of the status quo. Old and tired stereotypes are still prevalent in IT culture. Plus, the gaps reported in the US do nothing to boost confidence in women – there’s still a pay gap, an employment gap, a leadership gap, a culture gap, a degree gap, and so on… A Pew Research center poll says that 50% of women experienced gender discrimination at work, while, in contrast, 19% of men reported unfair treatment. Also in contrast to 54% of men, only 25% of women report any likelihood of being promoted to a senior leadership position. The pandemic has left women with more burnout than their male teammates. 44% of women reported taking on extra responsibilities at work and home (like childcare), making them struggle with work-life balance. Women were also twice as likely to lose their job when the pandemic struck and less likely to ask for a raise, promotion, or more flexibility around work location, schedule, or hours. The pitfalls of non-inclusive languageLanguage can marginalize groups, and so can it gatekeep careers. In the tech world, people often use outdated stereotypes and overuse jargon to keep women out of the loop. Then there are also the small, seemingly insignificant jabs. For example, using the not gender-neutral “guys” when talking to teammates assumes the default human is male. Or using “he” and “man” when describing a neutral person (e.g., “when the customer opens the app, he wants to see the menu”). Men calling female teammates “girls,” no matter their age and expertise, is a way to infantilize women in tech. It’s important to be careful with the language you use. It affects others negatively in many unspoken ways, and being a decent human should be the norm! Learn more here. We can change the landscape, one successful woman at a timeHere at GetResponse, we are dedicated to creating a more inclusive tech culture. The fact that our employees and colleagues reflect on their workplace in an overwhelmingly positive way is a point of pride for us. We interviewed six women holding various positions in our IT teams, and, in a minute, you’ll have a chance to hear their stories. But we need more role models. That’s why we want you to consider following in these women’s footsteps and join us on the journey to break the glass ceiling once and for all. So, let’s see what paths they’ve taken, what roles they hold, how they feel about working here, and amplify their voices even louder. 1. Sandra Ambroziak, Machine Learning SpecialistBesides being interested in AI and IT, Sandra is a huge language nerd. She says, “I’m especially interested in Eastern Slavic languages, the culture, and the history of the region. This year, I deeply dived into Old Church Slavonic, and in my free time, I analyze the development of Slavic languages.” (Some of her other passions are making candles, traveling, and painting Warhammer 40k and Lord of the Rings miniatures.) These interests played a massive part in Sandra’s choice of career path.
Q: What knowledge, education, and skills are needed to perform your job?
Q: What obstacles did you have to overcome when pursuing this career, and how did you do it?
Q: What do you do daily? And how do you organize your daily/weekly tasks?
Q: What do you like the most about what you do? What does cooperation with other people and teams look like?
Q: What is your dream (career-wise), and how does working in GetResponse help you make it real?
2. Marta Reszka, Front End DeveloperMarta got fascinated with computers in elementary school. She started learning HTML and creating websites, and her passion turned into a full-blown career. When asked about her next dream (career-wise), she says: “For now, my career-wise goal is to raise my skills in React so I can be fluent in it.” Q: What do you like the most about what you do? What does cooperation with other people/teams look like?
This flexibility also means more opportunities to follow other passions, of which Marta has plenty.
3. Danuta Gola, Junior App TesterDanuta, as she says, “picks holes in our app” daily. She’s responsible for ensuring the quality of the software by catching any errors. Q: What made you choose this career path?
Q: What knowledge/education/skills are required to perform your job?
Q: What obstacles did you have to overcome when pursuing a career in your field, and how did you overcome them?
Q: What do you like the most about what you do? What does cooperation with other people/teams look like?
Q: What is your dream (career-wise), and how does working in GR help you make it real?
Besides being a person focused on growth and development in the tech field, Danuta loves creating art – her passions are handicraft in different techniques, photography (especially children’s portraits), and interior design. She’s an app tester, a mother, an esthete, a plant lover, and surrounds herself with colors. 4. Agnieszka Gutowska, Application TesterAgnieszka started as a math teacher before realizing the IT world was drawing her in. Her path began with a Test Coordinator + Manual Tester role, and Automation was the natural progression. Q: What knowledge/education/ skills are required to perform your job?
Q: What obstacles did you have to overcome when pursuing a career in your field, and how did you overcome them?
Q: Tell us what you do daily. How do you organize your daily/ weekly tasks?
Q: What do you like the most about what you do? What does cooperation with other people/teams look like?
When asked what Agnieszka’s career dream is, she says, “I am happy with my current role as I continue getting valuable experience in test automation areas.” Agnieszka enjoys not only picking apart the app to analyze it but also loves creating new things – crochet masterpieces, delicious meals, and new lasting memories from traveling. The only thing she doesn’t have is much free time, as, she says, “the kids dictate how she spends it.” 5. Hanna Andrzejewska, Product ManagerHanna describes taking a role in an IT company as a “sheer coincidence” and that she owes it to her experience in writing and translating.
She says that gaining knowledge and experience is inevitable when you submerge yourself in an IT and scientific environment. Q: What knowledge/education/ skills are required to perform your job?
Q: What obstacles did you have to overcome when pursuing a career in your field, and how did you overcome them?
Q: Tell us what you do daily. How do you organize your daily/ weekly tasks?
Hanna says that learning new things and cooperating to resolve problems are the most exciting parts of her job.
We choose to believe that Hanna’s fondness for her job is not a “sheer coincidence” after all ;). 6. Zuzanna Badziąg, Application TesterSurprisingly, Zuzanna also mentions starting out her career “by accident.”
Q: What knowledge/education/ skills are required to perform your job?
Zuzanna says she can’t think of any obstacles she could have encountered on her journey. But what does her daily work look like?
Q: What do you like the most about what you do? What does cooperation with other people/teams look like?
It seems that Zuzanna’s dreams (both career-wise and “bucket-list-wise”) have come true while working at GetResponse. She says,
Key takeawaysIt seems that each of the interviewed women from our IT teams has had a different path to get to where they are, be it coincidence and accident or being dead set on their career since childhood. The obstacles they had to overcome were either insignificant enough not to recall or have come from within – “gaining experience” being the most frequent response. It’s great to see that none of the responses mentioned “being held back by the industry itself”. Each description of daily work routines and tasks was positive and detailed. The easy conclusion is – these people love what they do and are definitely where they’re supposed to be. They’re able to develop their skills, gain experience and education, and grow while spending time on their other fascinating passions. To be frank, these women are an inspiration to me, and I hope for many others. They enrich the company in surprising ways, and we, as a company, couldn’t have grown without them. As I mentioned before, we still need more role models as we strive for a more inclusive tech culture. What can you do to become one? If you’re not in the tech world yet: start with courses. There are plenty to choose from, as there are many different streams in which you can specialize. But each of them opens doors to millions of opportunities. Carefully select your studies, but remember that there are fields for which you don’t have to have an IT degree. Take part in open days in companies to learn more about their culture and if the environment they create for women is safe and nurturing. And, of course, look out for internships! If you’re in the tech world already: join us! We’re waiting for you! Printing via GetResponse Blog https://ift.tt/Nlqc7k3 September 21, 2022 at 11:28PM
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